New Blended Cement from Polishing and Glazing Ceramic Sludge

Waste generated in ceramic tiles manufacturing is not usually recycled inside the productive plant, but rather disposed to landfill. This paper deals with ceramic residues from polishing and glazing processes, as constituents for innovative blended cements. New binders made up of 75% CEM I 52.5 R and 25% residues were chemically, physically, and mechanically characterized with reference to EN 197-1 requirements and the results compared with ordinary Portland cement. Mechanical strength development and microstructure of the relevant mortar have been investigated up to 90 days of curing, and the behavior of polishing and glazing residues as cement constituents is reported.     

Modulation on C‐ and N‐Terminal Moieties of a Series of Potent and Selective Linear Tachykinin NK2 Receptor Antagonists

Herein we describe the synthesis of a series of new potent tachykinin NK₂ receptor antagonists by the modulation of the C‐ and N‐terminal moieties of ibodutant (MEN 15596, 1 ). The N‐terminal benzo[b]thiophene ring was replaced by different substituted naphthalenes and benzofurans, while further modifications were evaluated at the C‐terminal tetrahydropyran moiety. Most compounds demonstrated a high affinity for the human NK₂ receptor and high in vitro antagonist potency, indicating that a wide range of substituents at both termini can be incorporated in the molecule without detrimental effects on the interactions with the NK₂ receptor. Selected compounds were tested in vivo confirming their activity as NK₂ antagonists. In particular, after both iv and id administration to guinea pig, compound 61 b was able to antagonize NK₂‐induced colonic contractions with a potency and duration‐of‐action fully comparable to the reference compound 1 (MEN 15596, ibodutant).     

Gene Therapy in HIV‐Infected Cells to Decrease Viral Impact by Using an Alternative Delivery Method

The ability of dendrimer 2G‐[Si{O(CH₂)₂N(Me)₂⁺(CH₂)₂NMe₃⁺(I^?)₂}]₈ (NN16) to transfect a wide range of cell types, as well as the possible biomedical application in direct or indirect inhibition of HIV replication, was investigated. Cells implicated in HIV infection such as primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and immortalized suspension cells (lymphocytes), primary macrophages and dendritic cells, and immortalized adherent cells (astrocytes and trophoblasts) were analyzed. Dendrimer toxicity was evaluated by mitochondrial activity, cell membrane rupture, release of lactate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte hemolysis, and the effect on global gene expression profiles using whole‐genome human microarrays. Cellular uptake of genetic material was determined using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency and gene knockdown was investigated using dendrimer‐delivered antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA (siRNA). Very little cytotoxicity was detected in a variety of cells relevant to HIV infection and erythrocytes after NN16 dendrimer treatment. Imaging of cellular uptake showed high transfection efficiency of genetic material in all cells tested. Interestingly, NN16 further enhanced the reduction of HIV protein 24 antigen release by antisense oligonucleotides due to improved transfection efficiency. Finally, the dendrimer complexed with siRNA exhibited therapeutic potential by specifically inhibiting cyclooxygenase‐2 gene expression in HIV‐infected nervous system cells. NN16 dendrimers demonstrated the ability to transfect genetic material into a vast array of cells relevant to HIV pathology, combining high efficacy with low toxicity. These results suggest that NN16 dendrimers have the potential to be used as a versatile non‐viral vector for gene therapy against HIV infection.     

Inhibition of Eimeria tenella CDK‐Related Kinase 2: From Target Identification to Lead Compounds

Apicomplexan parasites encompass several human‐ and animal‐pathogenic protozoans such as Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Eimeria tenella. E. tenella causes coccidiosis, a disease that afflicts chickens, leading to tremendous economic losses to the global poultry industry. The considerable increase in drug resistance makes it necessary to develop new therapeutic strategies against this parasite. Cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) are key molecules in cell‐cycle regulation and are therefore prominent target proteins in parasitic diseases. Bioinformatics analysis revealed four potential CDK‐like proteins, of which one—E. tenella CDK‐related kinase 2 (EtCRK2)—has already been characterized by gene cloning and expression. 1 By using the CDK‐specific inhibitor flavopiridol in EtCRK2 enzyme assays and schizont maturation assays (SMA), we could chemically validate CDK‐like proteins as potential drug targets. An X‐ray crystal structure of human CDK2 (HsCDK2) served as a template to build protein models of EtCRK2 by comparative homology modeling. Structural differences in the ATP binding site between EtCRK2 and HsCDK2, as well as chicken CDK3, were addressed for the optimization of selective ATP‐competitive inhibitors. Virtual screening and “wet‐bench” high‐throughput screening campaigns on large compound libraries resulted in an initial set of hit compounds. These compounds were further analyzed and characterized, leading to a set of four promising lead compounds for development as EtCRK2 inhibitors.     

Urban Water Demand for Service and Industrial Use: The Case of Zaragoza

Increased efforts to improve urban water management are focused on demand side policies, seeking to affect the behavior of users so that a “reasonable” use of water resources is reached. In this framework the accurate characterization of water demand play a major role in obtaining sufficient knowledge about this behavioral response to changes in price. In this paper we focus on the water demand of the services and industries connected to the public water network. To this end, we carry out an empirical estimation of urban water demand for service and industrial use in Zaragoza (Spain). The proposed model is a Koyck flow adjustment demand model, and a price specification, which is constructed as a function of the lagged average price, current marginal price and a price perception parameter. We use a dynamic panel data methodology to estimate the water demand function. As far as we are aware, this approach to service and industrial urban water demand is new in the literature. The analysis suggests that although price has a negative relationship with consumption, such an effect is reduced given that the price elasticity is lower than one in absolute value. Another relevant finding is that service and industrial urban users think that they pay a lower price than the actual price they pay.     

Groundwater Assessment at Santiago Island (Cabo Verde): A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Recurring Source of Water Supply

Groundwater resources are in many parts of the world the only source for private domestic, agricultural and public water supply. Subsurface has also become major recipient of wastewater and solid waters especially in the developing countries. Overexploitation of coastal aquifers and pollution are among the main problems related to groundwater resources assessment and management in Santiago Island (Cabo Verde). Brackish groundwater is the only available water type in the region that is being provided to numerous parts of the Island such as Praia Baixo, Montenegro, and Charco for agriculture and human supply. Solute and isotope data obtained in different groundwater systems were used in the identification of groundwater resources degradation. In order to understand the influence of the anthropogenic activities on the water quality and the main origin of the salts in groundwater, a statistical approach (Principal Components Analyses—PCA) was performed on the physico-chemical data. The results obtained indicate water–rock interaction mechanisms as the major process responsible for the groundwater quality (mainly calcium-bicarbonate type), reflecting the lithological composition of the subsurface soil. Also, anthropogenic contamination was identified, in several points of the island. Isotopic techniques (δ²H, δ¹⁸O and ³H content) combined with geochemistry provided comprehensive information on groundwater recharge, as well as on the identification of salinization mechanisms (e.g. seawater intrusion, salt dissolution, and marine aerosols) of the groundwater systems, at Santiago Island.     

Effects of initial climatic conditions on growth and accumulation of fluoride and nitrogen in leaves of two tropical tree species exposed to industrial air pollution

Saplings of Tibouchina pulchra and Psidium guajava, cultivated under standardized soil conditions, were placed in two sites at Cubat?o (state of S?o Paulo, southeast Brazil) to study the effects of air pollution on growth, biomass allocation and foliar nitrogen and fluoride concentrations. Thirty-six potted plants were maintained over two periods of one year (Jul/00 to Jun/01; Dec/00 to Nov/01) at each of two experimental sites with distinct levels of air pollution: Pil?es River Valley (PV) with vegetation virtually unaffected by air pollution; and Mogi River Valley (MV) severely affected by pollutants released mainly by chemical, fertilizer, iron and steel industries. For both species, saplings growing at MV showed alterations of growth and biomass allocation, as well as increased leaf concentrations of nitrogen and fluoride. Comparing both experimental periods, the one starting in winter (the driest season in Southeastern Brazil) seemed to affect the saplings more severely, the differences of the measured parameters between MV and PV being higher than in the second period. Multivariate analysis revealed two groups of data: one representing the MV and the other the PV saplings. For both species, saplings growing at MV showed differences in chemical composition, growth and biomass allocation, compared with the PV saplings. The results suggested that seasonal conditions of the first months of sapling exposure (summer or winter) modulate the intensity of responses to pollution stress.     

Use of dendrochronological method in Pinus halepensis to estimate the soil erosion in the South East of Madrid (Spain)

The rate of soil erosion in pine forests (Pinus halepensis) located in the Southeast of Madrid has been estimated using dendrochronological analysis based on the change in ring-growth pattern from concentric to eccentric when the root is exposed. Using 49 roots spread across five inclined areas, it has been found that the length and direction of the hillsides, as well as their vegetation cover affect the rate of erosion, while the slope itself does not. The erosion rates found for the different areas studied vary between 3.5 and 8.8 mm year(-1), that is between 40 and 101 t ha(-1) year(-1) respectively. These values are between 2 and 3 times greater than those predicted by USLE, for which this equation underestimates soil loss for Central Spain's Mediterranean conditions. Nonetheless, both methods (using dendrochronology to determine actual soil loss and theoretical prediction with USLE) are able to establish the same significant differences among the areas studied, allowing for the comparative estimate of the severity of the area's erosion problem.     

Coupling hydrothermal liquefaction and aqueous phase reforming for integrated production of biocrude and renewable H2

Lignin-rich stream from lignocellulosic ethanol production was converted into biocrude by continuous hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) while hydrogen was produced by aqueous phase reforming (APR) of the HTL aqueous by-product. The effects of Na₂CO₃ and NaOH were investigated both in terms of processability of the feedstock as well as yield and composition of the obtained products. A maximum biocrude yield of 27 wt% was reached in the NaOH-catalyzed runs. A relevant amount of dissolved phenolics were detected in the co-produced aqueous phase (AP), and removed by liquid–liquid extraction using butyl acetate or diethyl ether, preserving the APR catalyst stability and reaching an hydrogen yield up to 146 mmol H₂ L⁻¹ AP. Preliminary mass balances integrating HTL and APR showed that the hydrogen provided by APR may account for up to 46% of the hydrogen amount theoretically required for upgrading the HTL biocrude, thus significantly improving the process performance and sustainability.